White House Anti-Doping Summit Includes Emma Coburn, Alysia Montano and Yuliya Stepanova

By Adam Kopet

The White House hosted an anti-doping summit Wednesday that included the attendance of several prominent figures in track and field, according to Nick Butler and Sportschau.

The summit gave athletes a voice in a call to reform the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the WADA executive council voted to readmit the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), despite Russia not yet meeting all of the conditions that had originally been set out.

Russia was found to have a state sponsored doping system for it sports programs in addition to a method of cheating doping regulations at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian middle-distance runner who blew the whistle on Russian doping efforts in 2014 to German television station ARD and now resides in the U.S., was one of the featured speakers at the summit.

Other track athletes in attendance were Emma Coburn and Alysia Montano.

A common theme of the summit was the accusation that WADA had failed athletes by siding with governments and the interests of the International Olympic Committee.

“WADA has failed the athletes. It has bullied and disheartened athlete voices. This is the very organization that’s supposed to protect us!” -@emmajcoburn #TheReformers @ONDCP @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/pi7kPQek34

— USADA (@usantidoping) October 31, 2018

Further controversy surrounded the event after WADA officials announced they had not been invited to the summit. However, WADA Vice President Linda Helleland was in attendance, although she may not have been there as a representative from WADA.

Butler reported on Twitter that WADA head Craig Reedie wrote a letter attempting to bar Helleland from attending the summit as a WADA representative.

Lots of games being played at White House #doping event. #WADA claiming they were not invited, but their President Craig Reedie wrote a letter attempting to bar VP Linda Helleland from attending as a WADA representative. “Secrecy” and lack of governance in sport being attacked pic.twitter.com/MBKpPS8xd1

— Nick Butler (@NickJMButler) October 31, 2018

Helleland responded to Butler's tweet, advocating for athletes to be a part of the WADA governance structure.

Dear President Reedie

I meet who I want. Athletes, NADO’s or Government representatives.
And YES! I think Athletes should be represented at all governing bodies at @wada_ama. I will never accept bullying of Athletes or any other. #FreedomOfSpeech

Vice President Helleland https://t.co/7AoJiGtlVq

— Linda H. Helleland (@Lindacath) November 1, 2018

It is unclear what will come from the White House summit, but it is part of a growing dissatisfaction by athletes with WADA and the fight against doping in sports.